9/15/2015

I was excited to rise from bed and eat the famous Holiday Inn Express cinnamon rolls. When Crystal and I reached the dining area, we spotted two of the band members from the previous night’s show. We said good morning then walked over to the breakfast counter and filled up on a large complimentary breakfast. I grabbed two yogurts, scooped eggs with potatoes onto my plate, and picked out a couple of cinnamon rolls. We chatted with John and Elliot for a little bit before they took off for their flights. I continued to fuel my body before returning to the room for a few more minutes of rest.

My body relaxed but I didn’t have an opportunity to rest. I had computer work that called my name. It consumed every minute until checkout time...

9/12/2015

The two beagles played with me and Crystal as we loaded the trailer. We said our good-byes to Jane and Richard before heading for the border of North Dakota and Montana. First we donated a set of books to the local school on behalf of Capstone publishing. We gave the little school a two books for every grade. The principal gave me plenty of encouragement. It was a shame we didn’t have the time to hold an event for the kids.

I started to kick up dirt around 11:00 am. The view changed yet again and the sky expanded. The open range stretched as far as the eye could see. The Montana frontier was just a couple miles away. After snapping our customary photograph at the state sign, Crystal powered forward and left me to complete a dozen miles. She had her own mission for the day...

9/10/2015

My legs felt as if they were made of lead. The misadventures of the previous day had left me drained. In the badlands I employed muscle groups that had remained dormant for most of the great reading run. Propelling my body forward had become mechanical and easy. The leaping, pulling, and half stepping were not activities in my normal regimen. Crystal took sympathy upon me and left me laying in the bed while she prepared her coffee.

After repeating the phrase, “Get out of bed”, over and over again, I willed myself to roll over. When I cracked the door open, I squinted from the sunlight that bombarded my eyeballs. At least the weather was warm and there was very little wind. I followed the scent of soyrizo and egg to the trailer...